October 9, 1995
Web posted at: 1:10 p.m. EDT (1710 GMT)
From Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- NATO sources tell CNN that United States warplanes, at the request of the U.N. commander in Sarajevo, Monday attacked a Bosnian Serb command and control center near Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, after renewed shelling threatened U.N. troops in the region. Reports said one U.N. peacekeeper was killed.
The sources said two U.S. F-16s dropped laser-guided bombs on the command bunker, and NATO has not ruled out further strikes.
NATO planes were in the air for several hours before the attack. It was the second day in a row the United Nations has requested "close air support" in the wake of Bosnian Serb shelling of areas around Tuzla in northern Bosnia. Sunday, the air strikes were called off after bad weather made finding the targets difficult.
Monday, the United Nations requested air cover late in the morning, saying Norwegian and Pakistani battalions were threatened by the shelling. Reuters news service reported that a Norwegian peacekeeper was killed when shells landed close to the Tuzla air base.
It was late afternoon before NATO pilots located, and were cleared to hit, any targets. Sources said there is no word of whether the bombs hit the command and control bunkers, which NATO sources said were apparently directing the fire of the Serb guns. NATO said the target was selected by the United Nations.
NATO insisted the strikes were defensive actions to protect U.N. troops, and do not mark a resumption of offensive air strikes.
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